


A Piece of Land and a Stubborn Mind

by Homer



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alaskan Bush Pilot AU, Alternate Universe - Frontier, Alternate Universe - Historical, Angst, Drama, F/F, F/M, Gen, J'onn and Alex are the Law, James is a mailman, Kara's a Pilot, Lena's just trying to escape her family name and start anew, Maggie and M'gann co-run a bar/hotel, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2020-05-18 16:06:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19337908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Homer/pseuds/Homer
Summary: Lena moves across the country to National City, Alaska, as an attempt to escape the hate that her brother has brought to her family's name. As she tries to rebuild a failed business once run by Lex, she befriends Kara: a woman who works as a bush pilot delivering mail around their local Alaskan region.Slowly, Lena becomes accepted by Kara's small group of friends. Hijinks ensue between Maggie trying to break up barfights, to fear for Kara's life - is Alaska worth it for Lena, or is it just trying to kill her?Title taken from Mary Chapin Carpenter's song "Heroes and Heroines"





	1. Welcome to National City, Alaska

**Author's Note:**

> I've literally had this first chapter done for a year, and I still love this AU. I'm hoping that this can be a good trial for me to write longer chapters. As I really love this story, it's not that hard! Chapter 2 is already about a third of the way written... we'll see where it goes from here!
> 
> As I continue writing, the rating and tags may change. I have an idea of the entire plot, it's just not written yet!
> 
>  
> 
> _(This fic is heavily influenced by the book "Touching the Clouds" by Bonnie Leon)_
> 
>  
> 
> As always, HMU on Tumblr @uhb-sessed

_Heroes and heroines are scarcer than they've ever been_

_So much more to lose than win_

_The distance never greater_

 

        After a few months travel, Lena was glad to finally hop off the wagon and to her new home: National City, Alaska.

        Now, Lena was a businesswoman. She could have stayed back in Metropolis, Massachusetts, in a cushy mansion with the most modern electricity installed, but she grew tired of dealing with stubborn men and their indignant attitudes. Instead, she chose to take over her banished brother's last decent investments: bringing business to the frontier.

        Lex had been... misguided. Once a blooming businessman, he came into the grasps of treacherous men in his risks to gain more money and power. Having grown so confident in his own abilities to slip out of the law’s grasp, he eventually tripped on his own past, and landed himself in prison. Her adopted father had been much the same, essentially taking the ‘easy way out,’ as her mother had put it, by dying of heart palpitations. Lena couldn’t blame him.

        Alas, her brother’s past was just another check into the box of reasons to venture out to the edges of civilization. Here, she believed, she could actually garner some respect. Though, perhaps being on the other side of North America, they hadn’t heard or cared about the goings-on in the nation’s business capital. If that were the case, Lena would take that as a small, but definitely priceless, victory.

\---

        The driver jumped down, sending up a small cloud of dust around the both of them, before climbing up the back of the buggy and untying her luggage bags.

        “Ma'am? Do you have someplace to stay or are ya plannin' on goin' to the hotel here in town?”

        “Oh, the hotel is fine, Samuel.”

        “I told ya to call me Sammy, Miss Luthor.”

        “And I told you to call me Lena.”

        Samuel grinned, shooting Lena a wink before he hopped down with her remaining luggage in his hands. “I suppose ya got me there, ma'am.”

        Lena shot him a smile in response.

        “A'right, so the hotel is right over here a ways,” Samuel half-gestured, hands loaded with Lena's luggage. “We’d passed it on the way in.”

        “Samuel, let me get one of those for you. I know how heavy they are, I packed them myself.”

        “I know. Now, Miss Luthor, you've payed me plenty good, so it's only fair for me to treat ya as such. Not that I wouldn't 'ave without your most gen-u-wine tippin’,” he jokes.

        “Samuel, I've also come all the way from Metropolis with you. I've taken you away from your family for so long, the payment doesn't even seem to cover how fortunate I am to have had you with me on this trip.”

        “Aw, Miss Luthor. My family loves you just as much as I do. Martha would've had my hide if I'd 'ave turned you down. She'd a been all 'Sam-yoo-el Fawn-tannah! You go right back to dear Miss Luthor's and you protect her! I'll be just fine without you, Lord above!'”

        Lena cracked a grin. “Well, be sure to tell dear Martha that I'll miss her and her homemade jams dearly.”

        Samuel waggled his eyebrows. “Just you wait now, Miss Luthor.”

        In return, Lena lifted her signature brow and waited.

        “Now now, you know that ain't gonna work on me. Now lookee, we're here.”

        “Here,” as it turned out, was a bar.

        “A bar? I thought you said there was a hotel.”

        “Look up.”

 

        Taking a step back, Lena noted that there were a handful of windows above the bar, accompanied by a wrap-around porch. Its appearance didn't seem to be terrible, though definitely weather worn. If she ran her fingers over the railing she doubted she'd have less than five splinters.

        “Ah.”

        Samuel hefted his load, before taking the steps one at a time, careful to keep his balance.

        “Here.” Lena took a bag from his hands before he had time to object. He huffed a bit before allowing a small grunt of thanks to pass his teeth.

        She stepped through the saloon doors, holding one side open for her companion. He led the way towards the bar, which was only half-filled due to it being the middle of the afternoon. A woman currently manned the bar.

        “Howdy there, ma'am! You got any rooms open?”

        “Rooms? Yeah, I got a few. Windows, or no? They're an extra buck a week.”

        Samuel looked to Lena for an answer.

        “Please. And I noticed a few rooms opened up onto the porch, are any of those available?”          

        The woman narrowed her eyes at her. Then they scanned over her body. Flicking over to Samuel, her eyes widened slightly at the amount of baggage.

        “That makes an extra five bucks a week, counting the fact it has windows.”

        “Done.”

        The woman turned to a wall of keys behind her and grabbed one. She set it on the counter-top, before interjecting one last thing.

        “Here at M'gann's, we try to keep everything nice. Now, before you go 'n settle in, we require a security deposit. You got three dollars?”

        Lena rifled through her shoulder bag, coming up with three one-dollar coins. Placing them neatly in a stack next to the key, she let the woman examine them for a second before grabbing the key.

        “Happy to have you here, ma'am. I'm Maggie, I help run this bar. If I'm not here, you'll probably see M'gann. You mess with her, you mess with me. You hear?”

 

        Lena, now curious as to what exactly she meant, wondered about who M’gann was, and _how_ exactly she planned to follow up on her vague threat. Almost forgetting to acknowledge the barmaid, she nodded in affirmation.

 

        “Great. Now if you and your gentleman here want to follow me, I'll show you what room you're in.”

        Lena picked up her bag once again, before following Maggie up a set of stairs to the side of the room.

 

        The stairs creaked, but they were clean. The occasional drink stain splattered onto the wood and walls, but they decreased the higher they climbed. There was a worn floral rug lining the small hallway of rooms, a dark-stained wooden table at the end of the hall, a cloudy mirror hanging above it. The wall sconces were unlit, as the middle room's door on the left was open, letting the light from the window spill into the hall. Maggie led them to the door to the right of that, the far corner room. She opened the door for Lena and Samuel before stepping to the window and throwing open the red curtains, letting small flecks of dust dance in the sunshine.

 

        “So your room key opens both your hallway door and the porch door. If you lost it, I have an extra. That also means I can get into your room if I feel something's up.” Maggie's face hardens. “So candles, drinks, guns, whatever are allowed up here. Business deals you can do downstairs, we got a room off the back we use for that kind of stuff. Had enough deals gone wrong up here to warrant it. Also,” she starts, looking Lena dead in the eye, “if you ever have a... _caller_ , that's fine. But no prostitution is coming through these doors. If you want to do that, just go down the road to Lord's.”

        Lena halfway wanted to laugh at the barmaid's seriousness, and she could tell Samuel had a grin on his face before even looking at him.

        “Look,” Maggie continues, “I know these rules seem a little overkill.”

        Samuel coughs over a snicker.

        Maggie's eyes flick to him with a seriousness Lena can't convey in words.

        “...but, I'd rather not have to help clean up another body from a business deal gone wrong.” Maggie stepped out of the door before spinning around. “So, now that that's out of the way, welcome to National City. Hope you find what you're lookin' for.” She shot Lena what was more of a grimace than a smile, but she returned it anyway.

 

        “Hoo boy, she's an intense one!” Samuel exclaimed, once the barmaid was gone.

        “Did you not once call me intense, Mr. Fontana?”

        “Well, yeah. But that was a'fore I knew you was mush on the inside.”

 

        Samuel set down Lena's bags on the bed, and her hard shell suitcase next to the dresser. He wiped the remaining dust off his hands before clasping them in front of him.

        “Well, ma'am, I guess this is it.”

        "I suppose it is. But if you're set on leaving today, I must insist I buy you a drink before you do so.”

        A toothy smile cracked Samuel's features. “You shore do know the way to my heart, Miss Luthor.”

 

_Way back when you made history_

_By flying planes across the sea_

_Embarking on your odyssey_

_You put away the danger_

        Kara tiptoed out of the house, careful not to wake her sister, Alex. She quickly saddled up her horse, Dax, before setting out on a quick trot into town. The sun had barely cracked the sky, and yet Kara never felt more awake than those few minutes before dawn. The morning air was damp and chilly, Dax’s exhalations creating little clouds. She was glad for the scarf her sister had given her for Christmas, thankful it was able to insulate the gap between her brown leather jacket’s collar and its fancy zipper.

        Few town members were awake yet. The few she saw had just been shoved outside the door of M'gann's, too drunk to stand properly. Kara chuckled, imagining M'gann's tired but irate face. She eventually stopped outside of National City's lone post office, making her way around the back. A few dim lamps were lit, signaling that James was already up. She knocked softly before entering.

 

        “James?”

        “Mornin'!”

        “Hi! So, whatcha got for me to deliver today?” Kara asked excitedly.

        “Well, I actually have a fair number of packages today. A few are here in town, and I can just let Carter deliver those, but the rest are definitely out of town. We got some to go to over to Central, Starling, and a little bit further. Probably take you a couple days to get 'em all delivered. Central and Starling can probably deliver them once you get them there, but those logging communities will make you need to do some water landings.”

        “Pfft. Don't worry about those. I've got them down.”

        “I know they aren't your favorite...”

        “James, it's perfectly fine. Golly,” she starts, setting a hand on his shoulder, “it's almost like you care about me or something.”

        “Who knows? Maybe I do,” he winks.

        She skipped around him, behind the high counter to a shelf full of brown packages, her boots clopping on the hardwood floor. “So which of these are mine for the day? It's been a bit since I've delivered around town, and Dax could probably use some more exercise than I've been giving her recently. I can take the far ones that Carter can't.”

        “If you're that excited about it I can't not let you,” James laughs. “But remember, you are on schedule for a flight out tomorrow, don't forget that. Don't let the postmaster catch you slacking off.”

        “Jamesss,” Kara whines, “Come on, I barely get to catch a weekend these days. Let me have this.”

        “Are you sure you don't just want a free day?”

        “Nope! I wanna catch up with everyone around town.”

        “Didn't you fly in a few hours ago?”

        “I got at least four hours of sleep. I always sleep better at home. I'm fine.”

        “Alright. But if you start falling off Dax from lack of sleep, don't let me find Alex in here yellin’ about it.”

        “Deal.”

 

        They struck hands.

 

        James loaded up Kara's saddlebags with what was probably a dozen packages, noting the addresses. Her route would take her around the outside of town; it would probably last her until mid-afternoon.

 

        “Thanks, James! I'll be back in a while. Tell Carter I'm excited to see him!”

        “Sure thing, Kara.”

 

_Heaven bless them on the road_

_Those drifters and their dreams of gold_

_The world was wide and cowboy's soul_

_Could span the whole horizon_

 

        “Bye, Agatha! Bye, Luke!” Kara waved as she looked back over her shoulder at the older couple's house. Agatha and Luke had once been a part of the founding of National City some forty years ago. They were nice folks, but people had been gossiping about how much longer either of them would actually be around. (Kara didn't like those people.)

        Eyes turned back to the dusty road in front of her, Kara started on the hour's long journey back towards the edge of town. She didn't mind delivering packages out far, as it got her to actually be in the lovely forests instead of soaring far above them. Not that she didn't enjoy that either... she just missed being home; she missed her sister. When she was gone she was always able to relay back to her that she was safe, and vice-versa – Alex, her sister, being the deputy here in town.

        Both sisters had unconventional jobs – Alex as a sheriff's deputy and Kara as a bush pilot. Winn, who helped run the airstrip outside the city always said that “those Danvers sisters should come with a warnin’.” Whenever he said that, the sisters would just make eye contact and smile, because it was true.

 

        Frontier women were always a bit unconventional. You had to do what you needed to to keep yourself alive. Sometimes that wasn't very pretty. Kara felt blessed to have the job she did, and that her sister was excellent at her job and rarely got hurt. National City was definitely a hot spot within Alaska, new people coming and going. Though it wasn't as big as Anchorage, National City offered much in its own unique way. For example, the prime mail system she was glad to have a part in.

 

        Kara had been so lost in her own thoughts, she didn't even realize she was already on the edge of town until Dax stopped suddenly.

 

        Kara leaned forward in her saddle, rubbing her mare's neck softly and patting reassuringly. She probably just needed some water.

        Deciding it was time for a stretch anyway, Kara swept a leg over her horse and hopped down, taking the lead and walking around an old board building. Taking in her surroundings, Kara wasn't very familiar with this side of town. Though it was where the first buildings were originally erected, it was more or less close to abandoned. More poor folk lived here, Kara noted, as she saw a few children walking around in the crisp fall weather without shoes or coats. A handful of men had arms loaded with chopped wood; women with loaded baskets with final hauls from local gardens. Alaskan gold was once an alluring promise – though it panned out poorly for many.

        Kara led Dax through a few alleys and boardwalks before she came to the city's main strip. A few people recognized her and called her name to grab her attention, and she waved back with the same enthusiasm. She stopped in front of the town's sheriff's building/jail, wrapping Dax's reins around a post by the water trough. Dax eagerly drank.

 

        Kara stepped up onto the boardwalk, stomping off some dried mud from her boots before entering the building.

        Alex had a desk against a wall, to the left of the sheriff's, which was in the center of the room. Through a separate door opposite the sheriff's desk, was a hallway that led to three jail cells. Alex had been sitting at her desk when Kara walked in.

        “Kara!” Alex exclaimed, scooting her chair back with a squeak before standing and hugging her sister. “I saw your note after I got up this morning, when did you get in? I thought you were coming in today?”

        Kara smiled, letting go of her sister but dragging her hands down her sister's arms to adjoin their hands. “I got in at about two, probably? I just wanted to be home. I missed you.”

        Alex squeezed Kara's hands. “I missed you too. But if you ever crashed because of sleep deprivation, I'll never forgive you,” she chastised.

        Kara laughed. “Oh, you know me. I'm perfectly fine on a little less sleep. Like this morning, I got up before sunrise and met James! I delivered the edge route again.”

        “Oh did you?” Alex questioned, setting Kara's hands free as she opted to sit back against her desk. “How are Luke and Agatha?”

        “They're great! Luke said that Josie might have her pups soon, and if I wanted one I could have one! And Agatha gave me a bag of those cookies you like. She said for me to tell you to 'keep out of trouble.'”

        “I'm sure she did,” Alex smirked. “Now you said something about cookies?”

        Kara unzipped a pocket in her jacket and grabbed a tan cloth bag that was tied shut with twine. “I might have eaten one or two.”

        Alex sent her a mock glare. Alex's face softened as she bit into the nutty cookie, face melting in ecstasy. “Oh my god, she makes them even better every time.”

        Kara bit back a laugh. “...so about that dog,”

        “No.”

        “But-”

        “Kara, how would you even take care of it? Sometimes you're not even home every week. And though I love you like the human puppy you are, I will not take care of one that can't feed itself.”

        “Hey!”

        “What's going on in here?” a new voice interjected.

        Kara whirled, and Alex simply gave the man a raised brow. “J'onn, Alex won't let me get a dog.”

        “Oh, is that the case?”

        “Mhmm.”

        “Alex?”

        “She couldn't be here to take care of one, J'onn. And I already told her, as much as I love having her as a human puppy, having to take care of an _actual_ puppy isn't the same.”

        “Alex, I'll just take her with me in the plane! She'll be my copilot!”

        Alex cocked her head. “A _dog_. As your _copilot_.”

        “Yeah!”

        It was J'onn's turn to smile. “Sounds like you two have a debate on your hands. I would leave you to it, but Alex, I need you to go check on the Danielsons. George told me Cade said he'd been having troubles with some thievery on the farm. You have everything done here that needs to be done?”

        “Nothin’ that can't wait.”

        “Good. Let me know what you find out. And if they give you any trouble, tell me. Don't take it all yourself again.”

        Alex gave the sheriff a mock salute. “Will do, sheriff. Kara, I'll see you around. Meet at M'gann's at seven?”

        “Sure.”

        “Great. Give Dax a kiss for me.”

 

        Alex grabbed a coat off the back of her desk chair, while pocketing her revolver in her shoulder holster.

 

_Rodeos and riding high_

_Ladies and their men get by_

_On six-guns and white lightning_

 

        Lena unpacked a bit the next morning, just enough to air out her dresses in the small wardrobe. She changed into a sundress, one that was not too frilly, but practical for what she planned to do today. She washed her face and neck using the pitcher left for her on the desk after pouring some into a bowl, glad to have washed off at least part of a few weeks’ worth of dust and grime.

        After she powdered her nose and straightened her wrap, she grabbed her room key and stepped out the door to the deck outside her room. The sun was shining, but the light autumn breeze made a small shiver work its way up her back.

        Lena surveyed the town. There was a nice looking church building a bit down the way, a few local goods stores, what appeared to be a restaurant, and a livery. Later on she'd probably visit the livery, as she would need a way to get around the area besides walking. Perhaps a wagon to transport the goods she planned on selling?

        She made her way down the well-worn stairs, stepping onto the boardwalk. Lena wasn't sure where she would find her brother's property, but as soon as that thought crossed her mind she spotted the town's sheriff's office. If anyone knew where Lex's shop was, the sheriff would.

        She crossed the slightly muddy road and walked the stretch to the station. As she neared, a woman with shoulder-length hair stepped out, adjusting her jacket and... _badge_? Lena didn't want to assume, but between the black leather jacket and dark trousers, Lena thought the woman a bit strange. _Surely the woman wasn't a part of law enforcement...?_

        Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she decided to step into the building and see if the sheriff was in. As she did so, she heard, then saw, a woman laughing inside.

        The woman had long blonde hair and a pair of spectacles perched above her forehead. Like the woman who just left, this woman was wearing a leather jacket, hers being light brown. Trousers led down to a pair of well-worn boots, but they weren't any shape of riding boot that Lena was familiar with. A white scarf was untucked from the blonde woman's neck, now draping gracefully over her shoulders, one side longer than the other.

        The blonde's companion noticed Lena in the room, and then she turned to see what the man was looking at.

 

_Those eyes._

 

        Lena hadn't seen eyes so blue before. They reminded her of tarheel blue, but somehow a thousand times more vibrant. The eyes were staring right back into hers.

 

        “Excuse me, ma'am. May I help you? I'm J'onn J'onzz, sheriff of National City.”

        For a moment, Lena was taken aback. A black man as sheriff? Not unheard of, but certainly a rarity. She supposed that the frontier called certain people to certain jobs, and this man was deemed most suitable.

        The sheriff had a hand extended, and Lena took it. Hands gripped each other’s with equal strength, and for a moment Lena thought she saw a flicker of surprise in the man's eyes.

        “Lena. I'm new to town and I’m searching for an old property of my brother's. Do you happen to have a map of local properties?”

        “I do, along with copies of the deeds of land. If you claim that this property now belongs to you, I'd like to see that before changing any documents into your name.”

        “Certainly.”

 

        The blonde woman coughed. “Sorry, J'onn, but I've got to go report to James. He said he has a few pieces of certified mail for you, so you need to sign for them.”

        J'onn grunted in affirmation as he rifled through a drawer of files.

        Kara turned to Lena. “Welcome to National City, Lena. I'm Kara,” she smiled, hand extended.

        They shook hands. “Thank you. Do you work at the post office then? I suppose I'll see you rather frequently.”

        Kara laughed. “I do work there, but I'm not there often. Always flying around getting things delivered.”

        “Ah. Well, nothing gives you a better sense of accomplishment than getting the job done.”

        “Exactly!” Kara agreed. “J'onn, I'm leaving now. Bye!”

        “Good bye, Kara.”

        Kara flashed him a bright smile, though he couldn't see it.

        Lena thought it was amusing.

 

        “Miss Lena,” J'onn called, after Kara slammed the door a bit too hard in her exit, “I'm afraid I must have missed your surname. I need it to find the land you're looking for. What was it?”

        “Luthor. It should be filed under Lex Luthor.”

 

_I imagine what was in your eyes_

_The dust and dirt under outlaw skies_

 

        After the sheriff's original shock at the revelation of her last name, he told her her brother's reputation in the area. He had built his grand mercantile in no time, by offering quality product for cheap. He had supposedly slowly switched out popular products for lower and lower quality makes, all while labeling them the same. He brought in the cash.

        The bank in town was not surprised to see the amount of money that Lex came in to deposit every Friday, but one teller started to become wary as the cash steadily increased over a few months, as the number of customers was always steady. He took it upon himself to look into Lex's business methods and managed to out him to the city.

        The city did not take kindly to getting gypped, not at all. At first, they went after his business. A few broken windows, a few stolen items, but it wasn't until the first threats were painted on the side of the building that Lex had any sense of worry. Then they had come after his house.

        The teller that had outed him, a man named Clark Kent, had never meant for the town to react that way. He had even thought of Lex as a friend, even if they only met at the bank or Lex's store once or twice a week.

        A drunk group of men had come after Lex's house with pitchforks, shotguns, and shovels. But when one man throw a flaming bottle of moonshine into Lex's front room, was when hell broke loose. Lex's bedroom had been upstairs, and it took him a few minutes to wake to the fact that his bedroom was filling with smoke, ears filled with the heckling shouts of the crowd of drunk men surrounding his home.

        Clark had followed the group of men and braved the flames to guide Lex down the stairs, before the drunkards could manage to stop him. Clark reported to J'onn that before they had even exited the building, Lex tried to fight him. Clark didn't want to hurt him, but he didn't blame Lex for having anger towards him.

        Clark almost died in the building, as a beam collapsed on top of him after Lex managed to shove him down. It was Alex who had come in and managed to get Clark free, but not before the damage had been done.

        Clark had a broken leg and burns along his chest and upper arms from the flaming beam. He stayed in National City only until he was healed enough to move south to recover. He was currently residing with his adoptive parents back in Kansas.

 

        Lex, on the other hand, had jumped ship that night. Fled into the woods, and no one had seen him since. That was five years ago. When the New York Times article on her brother had made its way out to this far edge of civilization, that's when National City got their justice for the scrupulous businessman that was Lex Luthor. They had heard for themselves what all trouble that he had gotten into, and there wasn't a soul in town that didn't agree with the judge's final ruling.

 

        Now, having another Luthor back in town, the sheriff gave Lena a firm warning of how to be received. Lena knew that Lex's frontier escapades were all successful until they hit their sudden ends, but at least now she knew why. Her brother could never keep himself from scraping up that extra penny if he thought he could.

        Lena kept her face neutral all throughout the sheriff's story, eyes flickering down to the floor at the mention of Clark's injuries. J'onn informed her that he'd probably never be back, doctors had claimed his lungs were too damaged by smoke to weather another long trip in his lifetime. The open air of Kansas was his best bet.

 

        Sheriff J'onn's tone remained even and unemotional throughout his recollection, eyes only managing to roam from hers at the mention of the Alex within the story.

 

        After the sheriff's warning, the sheriff stood, and Lena did the same. As the man shrugged on a coat, Lena let her eyes roam the station. Nameplates stood on either desk, and Lena took note of the “Alex Danvers” on the desk to the side. Perhaps that was the Alex that J'onn had mentioned.

        As J'onn opened the door to the boardwalk, Lena was shaken from her thoughts. She stepped through the threshold, followed by J'onn, who proceeded to lock up the building.

 

        “Follow me, Miss Luthor.”

 

        Lena had to take quick steps to keep up with the long stride of the man next to her. As afternoon switched to evening, the breeze had picked up as well. She wrapped her arms around her body just a bit tighter.

 

        Sheriff J'onzz had been kind enough to point out buildings and people of interest to her. M'gann's was the town's most popular bar, J'onn had told her. The church's pastor, Thomas Coville, was a bit on the nutty side. (Apparently the congregation was secretly trying to find a replacement for him.) He pointed out a quaint two-story brick building, which was apparently the mayor's home and office. Catherine Grant was ruthless, but definitely knew how to work within the politics of men. She had reportedly fought for a lot of the government funding that Alaskan frontier towns had been receiving, though a majority of the credit for that push had been going to a man named Morgan Edge in the next town over.

        From having a woman mayor to a black man as the town's sheriff, Lena was pleasantly surprised at National City's uniqueness. J'onn seemed to have sensed her thoughts, and informed her that, at least in National City, they placed people who were capable into the positions that were needed. The frontier was still small, and at times was worse than the 'wild west' of the south, but where manpower was needed, a position was filled. Who filled it didn't matter, as long as the job was done right.

 

        “Unfortunately, here we are,” the sheriff started. “To be honest I haven't checked up on this building in a few months, I apologize for its current condition.”

 

        Lena surveyed the building. What was once a large glass window in the front was shattered, large pieces barely hanging in the frame, but thankfully boarded up. A dozen or so bottles scattered the deck in front of the mercantile, some pistol shells scattered by broken fragments of beer bottles that balanced on a railing.

        Circling around the building, a few smears of paint marked some distasteful speech towards her brother. But that could be painted over. A back door hung halfway inside the building, leaving an opening for creatures to enter and exit through. _Wonderful_.

        Without seeing the inside, Lena didn't think that the building was actually in too bad of a condition, though she wondered how bad it could have been without local authorities occasionally checking up on it.

 

        “I can get someone to come fix that door for you by tomorrow if you'd like, Miss Luthor. Otherwise, feel free to enter. I'll write up a new document for the both of us to transfer ownership of the land into your name. Just meet me back at the jail whenever you're done.”

        “Of course. Thank you Sheriff J'onzz.”

        He ducked his head in thanks. “Ma'am.”

        As his hefty steps receded, Lena took a moment to look up and regard the building. Her building. _I hope I can fix you up before snow comes_. Digging into a small pocket in the side of her dress, she pulls out a pair of keys. _Let’s see just how much work I have in front of me._

 

_A piece of land and a stubborn mind_

_Were the only things worth having_


	2. A Not So Warm Welcome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've literally had this written for months so here?
> 
> As always, follow me on Tumblr @uhb-sessed
> 
> Lyrics from Mary Chapin Carpenter's " _I Take My Chances_ "

_Now some people say you shouldn’t tempt fate_

_And for them I cannot disagree_

_But I never learned nothing from playing it safe_

_I say fate should not tempt me_

 

                              The door creaked on its hinges as it swung inward. It opened a few feet before stopping with a clang. Curious, Lena pushed on the door. A metallic scraping sound matched the creak. A quick glance behind the door showed a tin bucket was the culprit of the noise.

The room was dark, save for the light from the doorway. There were a few rows of shelves, now empty. _Probably pilfered_. Only one or two were probably worth salvaging, the rest were heavily damaged.

               Glass shards glimmered by her feet, along with stains of tobacco spit that were probably made before someone boarded up the window.

               She stepped in further, scanning for a light source. _Ah, there_. Back by the smashed register was a lantern. The glass was cracked, but it would do. She flicked it on and turned up the gas to the brightest flame.

               Trash. Everywhere. Behind the counters, on the shelves; leaves and pine needles had made their way into corners. The remaining bolts of fabric along one wall looked torn to pieces – though it was hard to tell if man or animal were to blame.

               There was a short hallway behind the register counter, which apparently led to an office of sorts, and a steep staircase to the upper level. A decent-looking cane had been left undisturbed in the corner of the office, so Lena grabbed that as a precautionary weapon against any lingering animals in the building.

              

               She took a deep breath before venturing upwards.

              

               She counted the steps as she ascended, counting to fourteen. It was definitely darker up here. She paused a few steps shy of the top, listening carefully for any noises.

              

               Nothing.

 

               Wait. _What was that?_

 

               _Scritch scritch-_

 

               From the back corner… something.. something was there. Lena paused two steps below the top of the staircase, trying her best to peer into the dark corner. Setting the lantern on the floor by the railing, she hefted the cane.

              

               _ScriCHCHCH **CHCHCH**_

 

               A loud growling noise followed.

 

               Lena now stood on the floor, walking in a slow, wide circle. _Were there any windows up here? There should be. Maybe by the backside of the building…?_

               Cane held aloft, she slowly walked backwards, head turning constantly between ahead and behind. She’d rather not trip and fall on her buttocks and wind up encased in some opossum’s nest built within an old storage crate.

               _Aha!_ Her fingers felt the wisp of a fabric curtain.

               Slowly, she drew it back, enough to, hopefully, not anger whatever animal she was now trapped with, while also giving herself time for her vision to adjust.

 

               “ _WHO’S IN HERE?!_ ” a voice bellowed from somewhere down below.

               “Shit,” Lena whispered to herself. “Uh, hello down there?”

               “WHO’S THERE?!”

               “The owner of this property,” Lena half-yelled, worried about aggravating the animal still hiding out of sight. “There’s also an animal up here, so I’d suggest you leave before it runs down the stairs!”

               “Bullshit. Ain’t no animal up there, this building’s been closed for years. Only people who’ve been here are squatters or those orphans from downtown. Get on down here!”

               “I’m quite alright here, thank you very much.”

               “Well in that case, I’m comin’ up to get you!”

 

               This man did _not_ sound friendly. Lena quickly thought of a plan in her mind.

 

               The man, now clobbering his way up the stairs, was muttering loud enough for Lena to catch a few phrases: “bullshit Luthor lawyer ways,” “wantin’ to buy this land for a long time,” “women just can’t listen these days.”

               The man now stood but fifteen feet from where Lena hid. She’d found the nearest item with decent weight and tossed it over the stairway railings and as close as Lena could guess as to where the animal hid.

               Her guess was correct.

               A loud growl turned almost roar echoed through the room, and Lena swore she would never forget the look of fear on the man’s face as he turned and faced an animal Lena had never seen before.

               “Oh, _FUCK_!” The man almost tripped his way down the stairs as the animal gave chase.

               Lena could hear a scuffle on the main floor, then a loud bang from what she assumed was the front door.

               She slowly rose out of her hiding spot and quickly descended the stairs, peering out the now broken front door to see the commotion.

               The man was running down the center of the road, with the rather large animal taking chase. Multiple people yelling could be heard, echoing off one building to another.

              

               It all stopped immediately when a loud shot rang through the air, exploding a shower of mud and dirt right in front of the animal giving chase. It quickly ran off in-between the two nearest buildings and raced into the field.

 

               A quick look towards the noise showed the woman from earlier, with the reddish hair and bob cut, holding a pistol out in front of her.

 

               “What’ve you gone and done now, Maxwell?”

               “There’s a squatter in the fucking _Luthor_ building and she sent that goddamn wolverine after me!”

               “If any woman I knew could tame a wolverine, I swear I’d’ve married her by now,” the woman responds, holstering her pistol and crossing her arms. “Why were you in the Luthor building anyway?”

               “Like I said, _Alexandra_ ,” Maxwell spits, dusting off his pants and stepping quite close into the woman’s personal space, “there’s a _squatter_ in the building. The front door was open. I was _trying_ to kick her out.”

               “Well, fun fact, Maxwell, but that isn’t your job. It’s mine, or J’onn’s. Come to us next time. I know that old fabric is very tempting for you to take and have made into nice new little dresses for your… _employees_ … to wear. But that would be stealing. Again, another thing that goes into my job description.”

               _I guess she_ is _the Alex from the sheriff’s office, then._

               Maxwell looked up back towards Lena. “Look, see? There she is. Hiding behind the doorframe.”

               Lena quickly stepped forward, into sight. “Hiding? I’m afraid not. But I must say, you were quite the distraction for me to get that creature out of my building.”

               “ _Your_ building? Since when? I’ve been trying to buy this piece of land for years!”

               “Since, oh, about an hour ago I believe.”

               “Dammit, Alexandra, I thought you were gonna give me a heads up when the lot went up for sale.”

               Alexandra shrugged, face grimacing. “We went on _one_ date. I don’t owe you anything. You’ve never even asked me about the Luthor building.”

               “Oh, fuck you.”

               “Fuck me? Not like I just saved your life or anything, you’re welcome by the way.”

               “Excuse me,” Lena interjected. “But I believe that Mr. Maxwell here owes me a new door. My door was perfectly fine an hour ago, your sheriff will attest to that.”

               “J’onn? You’ve met?”

               “Oh, yes. How else would I have gotten these?” Lena takes the keys out of her pocket and gives them a little jingle, if not to only rile up the irritable, impertinent man still somehow involved in the conversation.

               Alexandra glances at Maxwell’s face and stifles a grin. “I see. Well, Maxwell, if you have an issue it seems you’ll have to take it up with the sheriff.”

               Maxwell shuts his half gaping mouth and grinds his teeth so hard; Lena almost wants to wince. His face twists into a grin, not unlike the ones Lena had seen back in Metropolis on cocky businessmen.

               “Have a nice day, ma’am. Alexandra.” He walks backwards for a few steps, letting his smirk of a smile linger in the sight of the two women for a moment longer, before spitting into the mud and walking towards the saloon.

               “Sorry about him, ma’am. Usually the folk ‘round here are a bit more friendly. I’m Alex Danvers, deputy sheriff to J’onn. That sack of a man was Maxwell Lord, and if I were you, I’d try my hardest to not get too mixed up with him. He’s conniving, but smarter than he lets on.”

               “I appreciate the warning. I’m Lena.” She shake’s Alex’s proffered hand. “I’m new to town, so any face turned friendly is nothing but good news to me.”

               “Were you the woman who came in off that stagecoach yesterday? The one with all the luggage?”

               “Ah, yes. That was me. A chronic over-packer. Though depending on how this venture of mine proceeds will tell if I actually over-packed or not.”

               “What’re you here for?” Alex said as she offered Lena a hand up onto the boardwalk, out of the muddy roadway.

               “Business.”

               “Not many people care enough to come this far out for business these days,” Alex shrugged. “I hope whatever you’re doing turns out well.”

               “Thank you.”

/

               “Oh my god, then what happened?” Kara interjected.

               “Lord came out screaming bloody murder, being chased by a wolverine of all things.”

               “A _wolverine_?! Alex!” Kara gasped.

               “Apparently it was holed up in the old Luthor Mercantile; Lord thought he’d take out the ‘squatter’ that was in there all by himself.” Alex took a swig of her drink. “Serves him right. Hey, Maggie, can I get another?” She called.

               “Yup!”

               “Thanks! Anyway, after I gave that wolverine a warning shot, it ran off, and then Lord’s just spittin’ fire, ticked as all hell and exclaiming at the woman, Lena, in the doorway of the Luthor building.”

               “Wait, Lena?”

               “And she looked just fine. I’ve never seen anyone come out of any type of captured critter interaction like that. Just… completely composed. I swear she was trying to hide a smirk from Lord. Though, I think her failing was intentional, if I read her right.”

               “I think I met Lena earlier today. She was talking to J’onn right before I left.” Kara said.

               Maggie brings Alex her drink.

               “Thanks, Mags. Yeah, that sounds about right from what she told me. She had the keys and everything. Wonder what she’s gonna do with it. She said she was here for business,” Alex shrugged. “Though, now that I’m thinkin’ about it, it seems funny. How’d she just fly in here and scoop up that property? People’ve been tryin’ to buy that lot for years now.”

               “You didn’t ask?”

               “No.”

               “Why not?”

               “I dunno. Didn’t seem right at a first meeting, I guess.”

               “Pfft. You’re never one to beat around the bush.”

               “Yeah, but I didn’t flat-out gawk at her either, unlike some people.”

               “Little Danvers was flirtin’?” Maggie calls from behind the bar. “Ha, kid, there are so many people out there who’d love to have you, don’t worry.”

               “I’m not worrying!” Kara calls back before turning back to Alex, finger pointed, “and I was _not_ flirting! I’ve never flirted!”

               “You sure about that? Cause Michael down at the airfield keeps saying that he’s claimed your heart and that you’re the only one for him,” Maggie calls.

               “Ew.”

               “Agreed,” Alex says, before washing the mental image down with a swig of her beer.

/

               Lena had worked tirelessly for the rest of the day – the majority of it turning into cleaning. She started from the top and worked her way down, clearing out the wolverine’s hideaway, sweeping dirt and leaves down the stairs that had collected from yet another unboarded, broken window.

               Thankfully, nobody had thought to steal a broom from the building, (god knows what of value had actually been taken) and managed to scrounge up a  hammer and a few rusty nails to patch up what she could. By the time the second floor was deemed manageable, Lena was starving.

               She stepped out the back door to brush off what dust and dirt she could, before heading around the side of the building to see if there were any restaurants in town. The first one she saw had a sign in the window: Famous Family Recipe Chicken Dinner – 60₵. The painted sign above the establishment read “Arias Eatery – We Have Pie!”

              

               As Lena opened the door to the restaurant, a bell tinkled overhead. A quick look around the floor showed it was smaller on the inside than expected. It had a homey feel – quality wooden tables and chairs, electric lights hanging from the ceiling, vibrant red walls, and a… smiling girl?

               “Hello! Welcome to the Arias Eatery. Is it just you today, or are you expecting company?”

               “Oh, uhm, just me.”

               The girl picked a menu up from behind a small counter, along with a set of wrapped silverware. “Would you prefer a window seat? Or is anywhere okay?”

               “Wherever I fit best, I suppose.”

               Lena was led by the girl over to a window seat that sat about midway into the restaurant floor.

               “Would you like a drink? We do have ice available! We have water, tea, and coffee.”

               “Coffee, please.”

               “Great. I’ll be right back with that, take a look at the menu in the meantime!”

               Lena did peruse the menu for a short moment, but decided to stick with the advertisement she’d seen in the window. Choice solidified, she surveyed the room.

               There were two other tables occupied, both groups of men in suits. Three at one table, two at another. All in all, there weren’t that many seats available in total – perhaps twenty? Twenty-five?

               “Here’s your coffee, ma’am! Be careful, it’s hot.”

               “Thank you.”

               “So, decide on what you’d like to eat?”

               “Your ‘famous chicken dinner’ sounds delicious.”

               “Oh, it is. Believe me. Mom’s chicken is so good, it got us this building, believe it or not.”

               _Oh, there’s definitely a story there_. “Your mother?”

               “Oh! Yeah, I’m sorry. You’re new here, right? I didn’t think I recognized you. I’m Ruby, and my mom’s Samantha Arias. We run this restaurant! Pretty cool, right? It’s just the two of us, and sometimes Kara will help out if she has the time,” Ruby shrugs. “We really just let her peel potatoes. She’s terrible at cooking. Anyway, I need to get mom your order! It should be out really quick, it’s her most popular dish.”

               Lena can’t help but smile. “I’m looking forward to trying it then. It’s very nice to meet you, Ruby.”

               “You too, ma’am!”

/

               One gigantic bowl of food and two coffees later, Lena agrees with Ruby’s assessment of her mother’s cooking. (She almost didn’t want to get up, she was so full.)

               “So, what do you think?”

               “You were right, Ruby. So right.”

               Ruby laughs. “I told you! I’m glad you liked it. Oh, and here’s your total – you’ve got 60₵ for the chicken dinner, and 5₵ for each of your coffees, so your total is 70₵.”

               Lena grabs a dollar bill from her purse and hands it to the girl. “Keep the change, that’s for your excellent service.”

               “Really? Thank you! I need to go help my mom wash dishes, but I hope you come back. Have a good afternoon!”

/

               Lena’s lunch kept her full enough to skip dinner, yet she decided to descend from her room to grab a drink from the bar that evening.

               She ordered a whiskey and sat at the bar to enjoy it, when she heard some familiar voices.

 

               “…I was _not_ flirting! I’ve never flirted!” Kara yells.

               “You sure about that? Cause Michael down at the airfield keeps saying that he’s claimed your heart and that you’re the only one for him,” Maggie calls.

               “Ew.”

               “Agreed,” Alex takes a large swig of her beer.

               Lena doesn’t know who this Michael is, but by the way they speak his name, he doesn’t sound very nice. She has the urge to turn around and glance at the two women, yet it also wasn’t her place. But then again, fuck it, when has she ever followed societal propriety to the letter?

               She turns, slowly, leaving one forearm and elbow on the bartop, making sure to take in everyone in the establishment, not just the two women that currently have her intrigue.

               Suddenly, a voice pipes up. “Lena!”

               Lena’s eyes go wide, starting to cough as the sudden noise caused her to swallow wrong.

               “Lena? Are you okay?”

               A loud grating noise of wood scraping wood reached Lena’s ears, and then suddenly there’s a hand bracing her heaving shoulders, and a kind, worried face appeared crouched below her.

               After a few more seconds, the coughing passes, and Lena held a hand to her chest. She cleared her throat before speaking. “I’ll be quite alright. Your outburst just startled me is all. I swallowed incorrectly.”

               Kara winces. “Yeah, I’ve been there. That hurts.” She stands but leaves her hand on Lena’s shoulder. “Would you like to come sit with me? I think you’ve met my sister already.”

               Lena looks over to their table, and Alex waves tentatively.

               “I suppose.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has never had that great of a reception, but it y'all want more of it let me know

**Author's Note:**

> As with my other works, my posting is still rather sporadic. I started a third job within the last month, and a few Sundays throughout the summer I'll be lifeguarding some triathlons... so my schedule's pretty crazy 🤷♀️


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